Automobile radius-rod.



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H. W. ALDEN. AUTOMOBILE RADIUS ROD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

1 1 @1573 Patented June 30, 1914:.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. W. ALDEN.

AUTOMOBILE RADIUS ROD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

1 13L, 673. Patented June 30,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi fze 'aa vulv -Q hurra STATES PATENT orrica.

HERBERT W. ALDEN, 0E DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE TIMKEN-DETROIT AXLE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE RADIUS-ROD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 31), i914.

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,968.

To all whom it ma y concern: 7

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. ALDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Auto mobile Radius-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the ruiniing gear of automobiles, particularly those in which the driving wheels are driven by means of sprocket chains from a jack shaft supported on the frame of the vehicle, but it is applicable to vehicles propelled by other means. In the usual construction of a vehicle to which this invention relates, the road wheels are mounted on anti-friction bearings on the ends of the axle, and the wheel hubs carry brake drums on their inner ends. If the vehicle is of the type in which the wheels are driven by sprocket chains, sprocket wheels, over which these driving chains ass, are bolted to flanges on the wheel hu 5, or to the wheel spokes.

The object of this invention is to provide means for mounting the driving wheel brake parts in such a way-that the action of the brake will not be affected by changes in the relative position of the axle with respect to the vehicle frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide means other than the vehicle springs to take the braking torque ortendency of the brake parts to rotate with the road wheel, upon applying the brakeswhen the vehicle is in motion.

A further object of theinvention is to provide means for maintaining a. fixed dis tance between the jack shaft which carries the driving sprockets for the driving bha-in and the ends of the axle uponwhich the driving wheels are mounted, irrespective of the vibration of the axle due to inequalities in the road, or of changes in its position with respect to the frame due to'excessive or unequal flexure of the vehicle springs caused by improper loading or other causes.

A further object of the invention is to rovide means for adjusting the tightness of the driving chain, and to maintain it at the proper tension while permitting limited sidewise movement and independent'vertical movement of the ends of the axle with respect to the jack shaft. p l a With the above and other objects in view,

as appears more fully hereinafter, this invention consists in providing a combined radius and torque rod having its ends pivoted to swivel coupling journaled one upon the Jack shaft casing r other part fixed to the vehicle frame, and the other upon the axle.

The invention further consists in mounting the fixed braking parts for the driving wheel upon a brake spider journaled on the axle and having a sliding connection with the radius rod to resist the braking torque.

Further details of the invention appear in connection with the following description of a device made in accordance therewith, and which'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the novel and characteristic features of the invention are more fully pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters designate the same parts in the several VieWa Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile vehicle, showingthe axle and spring mounting, and the driving means and brake parts for a vehicle wheel, the axle and vehicle wheel brake drum being shown in section on the line 11 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view of the same, the vehicle frame and spring being partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a side e1eva- -tion of the swivel connection and the rear portion of the radius rod; Fig. 4: is a side elevation ofthe adjustable front connecting rod portion of the radius rod; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the front swivelconnection for the radius rod.

0nly the parts on one side of the automobile immediately associated with a driv- Lingv wheel, and the portion of its axle adjacent thereto are shown in the drawings, it being understood that the other side of the automobile is similar in construction to that shown.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the road wheels 5 are mounted on a-ntifriction bearings 6 on'the spindle ends 7 of a solid axle 8. The road wheels are driven by side chains 9 from the ends of a jack shaft 10 provided with a difijerential gear or other device for; equalizing the driving torque transmitted thereby from the motor to the road wheels. The jack shaft is rotatably mounted on antifriction bearings 11 in the ends of a tubular casing 12 seated in pedestalsl? supported from the, side frame mem bers 14: of the vehicle. The pedestals have through lugs on the upper spring clip plates 20. The lower spring clips pass through seats 21 formed on the axle 8. The attach- 7 37 is arranged in the vertical socket 31 with ment between the springs and vehicle frame is such as to admit of pivotal movement of 'the springs with respect to the frame in their, respective planes lengthwise of the vehicle.

A radius rod 22 is arranged at each end of the axle 8, connecting the ends of the axle .with the ends of the jack shaft casing 12. The axle end of the radius rod .is provided with forks 23 between which the axle 8 passes. A swivel connection 24 is pivoted between the forks 23 on a vertical pin 25.

The swivel'connection is journaled 'on the .axle 8 between the spring seat 21 and driv- -ing wheel spindle end. Anoil'cup 26 is mounted on the swivel connection for lubrieating" it. The opposite end of the radius rod is formed with a longiudinal socket 27 which is split lengthwiseand internally screw-threaded. Through this,split socket is screwed the threaded shank of a tubular adjusting screw 28 which is clamped in adjusted position by means of the clamping bolts 29. Lengthwise arrangedin the tubnlar bore of the adjusting screw is a rod 30 provided'with a vertically arranged socket 31' and a shoulder 32 hearing against the adjusting screw at its outer end. This rod is rotatable in the adjusting screw.' The inner end of the rod projects. through the adjusting screw and is rotatably and slidably arranged inlthe longitudinally extendingbore 33 of the radius rod 22 adjacent to the split'socket 27 and in line therewith. A washer 34 held by lock nuts 35 on the inner end of the rod 30 adjacent to the ad-' justing screw prevents longitudinal movement of the rod in the bore of the screw. An oil groove 36 along the portion of the rod within the vadjusting screw provides means for lubricating the parts. A trunnion pin its ends projecting above and below the socket. This trunnion is. secured in'place by a wedge pin 38 driven through a transverse hole in the socket, An oil cup 39 is mounted upon the top of thetrunnion pin. On the ends of the trunnion pin is pivotally mounted a swivel connection 40 which is upon the outer end of the jack shaft, is normally in alinement with the sprocket wheel 43, which is bolted to the brake drum 44 onthe hub of the driving wheel. The driv-.

ing chain 9, which is arranged on the sprocket wheels 42 and 43, is constantly changing in length, due to wear. The driving chain may be ad usted to take up its slack, and to maintain it in tension if desired, by adjusting'the length of the radius .rod 22 by means of the adjusting screw 28.

., A brake spider 45' is journaled upon the axle between the radius rod swivel connection and the wheel hub, and within the brake drum. An oilcup 46 is mounted on the brake spider for lubricating the journal. This spider has two horizontal arms, which are radially and diametrically disposed with respect to the axis of the wheel. The ex: tremity of the rear arm is fitted with an eccentric pin 47, upon the projecting ends of.

. which are pivotally mounted slide blocks 48 which slidably engage between sets of parallel jaws 49 fixed to the inside of the .brake band 50. The opposite arm of the brake spider terminates in a transverse sleeve or socket 51 parallel to the axle. "This sleeve has passing through it shaft 52, one end of which is within the ake drum andis provided with a cam 53 positioned between {)he parallel faces of the ends 54 of thebrake and. ends to the ends of the brake band and holds them in contact with the cam 53. The other end of the sleeve projects through a slot in the radius rod. Pivoted upon the projecting end of the sleeve 51 is a square block 56 which slides in the parallel sides or ways 57 of the slot in the radius rod. One end of the shaft 52 projects through the sleeve and an arm 58 is'mounted thereon for rotating the same. This arm is connected by means of suitable mechanism with the hand or foot brake operating lever of the automobile. An oil cup 59 on the end of the shaft 52 pro vides a means for lubricating the sleeve and parts carried thereby.

The above described arrangement of driving wheel brake parts insures that the brake drum and brake spider shall be concentric with each other irrespective of the position of the axle with respect to the frame, and

it also relieves the axle and springs of the" braking torque, which is entirely carried by the radius rod. The eccentric pin 47 A coil spring 55 is attached at its allows the brake band to be adjusted or centered in the brake drum in case of unequal wear of the braking surface or cam actuating means.

It is evident that the precise forms and arrangements of parts shown in the drawings are not essential to the practice of this invention, and the invention is not limited thereto.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. In a vehicle, an axle, a frame, flexible supporting means on said axle for said frame, said means being movable with re swivel connection journaled on said axle and its other end provided with a longitudinal bearing member, said bearing member being rotatably mounted on a swivel pin which is pivotally mounted in a swivel connection journaled upon a part fixed to said frame, and means for adjusting said journal bearing lengthwise of said radius rod.

3. In a vehicle, an axle and a frame supported thereon by means of springs, a radius rod pivotally connecting said axle and frame for relative sidewise movement, a brake drum mounted for rotation upon said axle, a brake spider journaled upon said axle and concentric with said drum, a friction member loosely connected to said brake spider and adapted for movement into frictional engagement with said drum, an abutment on said radius rod adjacent to said brake spider and means on said brake spider engaging said abutment.

- 4. In a vehicle, an axle and a frame supported thereon by means of springs, a radius rod. pivotally connecting said axle and frame for relative sidewise movement, a brake drum mounted for rotation upon said axle, a brake spider journaled upon said axle and concentric with said drum, a friction member loosely connected to said brake spider and means for moving said member into frictional engagement with said drum,

an abutment on said radius rod adjacent to said brake spider, a sliding block engaging said abutment, and means on said brake spider pivotally engaging said sliding block.

5. In a vehicle, an axle and a frame supported thereon by means of springs, a radius rod pivotally connecting said axle and frame for relative sidewise movement, a brake drum mounted for rotation upon said axle, a brake spider journaled upon said axle andgconcentric with said drum, a friction member loosely connected to said brake spider and means for moving said member into frictional engagement with said drum, an abutment on said radius rod adjacent to said brake spider, and a sliding block engaging said abutment, said friction member moving means and said sliding block being concentrically arranged and pivotally mounted on said brake spider.

6. In a vehicle, an axle and a frame supported thereon by means of springs, a radius rod pivotally connecting said axle and frame for relative sidewise movement and having one end mounted for rotation about said axle, a brake spider journaled upon said axle adjacent to said radius rod, an abutment on said radius rod adjacent to said brake spider, and means on said brake spider slidably engaging said abutment, whereby relative rotation about said axle of said brake spider and radius rodwith respect to one another is prevented.

7. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a driving axle, springs for supporting said frame on said axle; a driving shaft mounted on said frame parallel to said axle, a radius rod having one end pivoted to a swiveljournaled on said axle and the other end connected to a swivel journaled on said shaft, said connection comprising a swivel pin rotatably mounted in said radius rod in longitudinal alinement therewith and having trunnions'at right angles thereto pivotally mounted in the swivel on said shaft, whereby the ends of said radius rod are rotatable with respect to each other and their respective pivotal axes are concentric with the axes of said axle and shaft, respectively.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan, this 19th day of May, 1913.

HERBERT W. ALDEN.

\Vitnesses LESLIE WILLIAMS, Enwm Swnrrznn. 

